Read Any Good Books Lately?
by yunakitty
Summary: Mary reads Gray the "good part" of a romance novel she wrote, and they both get worked up. They tremulously explore their new feelings for each other. MaryxGray lemon. Takes place around the same time as A Place to Stay and Hello Nurse!
1. Read To Me

Chapter 1

"But once again, Lionel shook his head and reared back his horse. 'Nay, fair princess, I must go.'" Mary's soft, soothing voice filled the dusty old library as she read aloud from the novel that she had written. "Captured Heart" it was called. Gray was enjoying listening to it. Sure, romance novels weren't normally his thing, but he'd do anything to spend time with Mary.

He looked over at her appreciatively. He had gotten some razzing from Kai about how could he find her attractive, she was just a frump. Gray couldn't disagree more. Sure, she dressed a little old fashioned, and she wore those big glasses. But Gray could see beneath that. Her eyes were large and glittering, framed by whisper soft lashes. Her face was actually quite lovely, with a cute little nose and small pink lips. Her ears curved softly like seashells, just covered by her hair, which was a satiny black like coffee with wisps of mocha color running through. She had small delicate hands with perfectly rounded nails, which she was using just then to turn the page.

Gray leaned back in the hard wooden library chair, trying to get comfortable. He was sore after another day of intense blacksmith apprenticeship. His body ached all over, especially his upper back. The rigid chairs were not helping the situation.

Mary eyed him squirming and paused her reading, looked worried. "Oh, I'm sorry, this must be terribly boring. You don't have to listen." She made a move to close the book, but Gray stopped her, quickly reaching out one callused hand.

"N-n-no, keep reading." He gave an apologetic wince. "I'm just a little sore from today's work. Ha, Grandpa says I'm such a wimp."

Mary leaned in, a concerned look on her face. "Not at all! You are definitely not a wimp. I'm amazed at the work you do. It takes such incredible physical stamina to do it, even at an apprentice's level. Actually," she paused, looking down, "Actually, I worry about you sometimes."

Gray felt himself blush a little and he laughed nervously. "R-really? You worry...about me?"

Mary nodded shyly, looking at the floor. "I worry that a hot spark will burn you, or that you'll injure yourself while hammering."

Gray smiled reassuringly at her. "I try to be very careful. I don't want you to have to worry about me. You should be able to keep your mind focused on your writing...which is very good, by the way. Please keep...please keep reading."

Mary blushed and nodded, but then looked worried for a moment. "But you're uncomfortable..." Her face lit up. "Oh, silly me. Why don't we sit on the other side of the library, behind the fiction section? There is a small sofa there."

Gray agreed that it was a good idea, and they moved over together. However, it actually not a sofa but a loveseat, and since it was not very wide, they were almost touching. Gray flushed and squirmed a little at first, but relaxed eventually. His thigh came to rest right against hers, and he swore he heard a little squeak come out of her when it happened.

Mary flipped through the pages industriously, trying to act like they weren't so close together. "Now...now where was I? Oh, yes, here." She picked up with the novel, and Gray let his body sink back into the very comfortable pillows.

She read on, and Gray kept relaxing. "Suddenly, Lionel gathered Elizabeth up in his arms - " Mary broke off there, blushing furiously.

Gray, looked at her, surprised. "What happened?"

Mary shook her head. "Oh, nothing, nothing…I just can't read any more."

Gray looked concerned. "Why? Is your throat sore?"

Mary fidgeted. "No…ah…it's just that the love scene is starting in the book, and it's, um, a little embarrassing to read." She looked up at Gray shyly.

Gray blushed when he realized what she meant, and picked at the edge of his sleeve nervously. "Oh, ha ha, okay," he laughed uncomfortably.

Mary's face became very red as she quickly said "Unless you want me to read it."

Gray was startled. "Eh?" He blushed a little more, and managed to stammer out, "Y-y-yeah, okay."

Mary opened the book again and began reading in a very low voice….


	2. First Kisses

Part 2

"Suddenly, Lionel gathered Elizabeth up in his arms. His mouth found hers and he kissed her passionately. She moaned as his powerful hands ripped the fragile lace of her bodice open. Her large, perfectly formed breasts lay bare to him, and he buried his face in them hungrily. He then ripped her dress the rest of the way down, exposing her curvy, sumptuous hips."

Mary paused a moment for a breath. Gray shifted himself a little on the couch, trying to cover up the fact that hearing these words coming out of Mary's mouth was arousing him.

"Lionel pressed his body into hers, taking her mouth in another savage kiss. She was frightened but at the same time delighted to feel his enormous m-m-m" Mary struggled a bit to get the word out. "manhood p-pressed against her delicate flesh. Elizabeth cried out with pleasure as Lionel pulled her dress the rest of the way off. He made short work of his own tunic and breeches, and soon they were both in their natural skin, falling back onto the royal bed together. The heavy velvet crushed underneath them as they writhed passionately. Lionel moved his rough hands over her creamy skin, gasping out words of desire into her ear. Elizabeth moaned and lifted her hips up to meet him, urging him to take her to another level. He got her message and parted her thighs with his hands, and, and, and…"

Mary stopped to take a deep breath. Her face was entirely crimson. "I can't read any more." she whispered.

Gray, who was by this time absolutely and irrevocably aroused, gasped in disappointment. "No!" he cried out, a little louder and more forcefully than he meant to. "I mean, please keep reading. I want to hear everything you wrote."

Mary took a few more deep breaths and nodded, continuing the story. "and laid himself between them. His rigid member was at the gate of her womanly petals, but he paused carefully. He looked into her eyes, and whispered, 'I love you,' 'I love you too, Lionel,' Elizabeth breathed in response, and with that, Lionel plunged himself inside of her. She cried out in pain for a moment as her barrier shattered. Lionel stopped to gently wipe away her tears and whisper sweet nothings and apologies into her ear for causing her any pain, however temporary. After a few moments, Elizabeth nodded to signal she was ready to begin again, and Lionel began thrusting anew. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him, kissing him sweetly. She locked her thighs around his waist and felt a strange sensation building up inside of her. She didn't know what it was, all she knew was that she wanted it to continue. She closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on Lionel's movements. Suddenly, her body was awash in an amazing feeling. Waves and waves of pleasure flowed over her body, and she cried out in happiness. Lionel was overcome at seeing her desire, and he found sweet release in her heavenly nether flesh moments later."

Mary stopped, now breathing very heavily. "That's the end of that chapter," she said, wiping a bit of perspiration from her brow.

Gray shifted himself awkwardly again. "Wow. That was um, some really creative writing there. Uh…" Gray stammered and blushed as he tried to find how to ask the question. "Uh, how did you know all that s-s-stuff that you wrote."

Mary blushed and fidgeted. "Oh, well, I've read other romance novels before. I tried to not plagiarize. I just pieced together bits from one with bits from another." She picked at the edge of the book. "I don't even know if it's put together correctly, because I've never…well, you know…I've never done any of it."

Gray squirmed a little. "Well, neither have I, so I can't tell you if it's right or not. Uh…" He struggled with what to say next, but he was spared by Mary speaking right then.

"Gray, have you ever kissed a girl?" Mary blurted out, tracing her fingers in absentminded circles on the cover of the book.

Gray blushed a little and frowned. "No…"

Mary showed just a hint of a smile. "Me neither. Never kissed a boy I mean, not a girl. But I haven't kissed a girl either, not that I want to…Oh!" she exclaimed, exasperated at herself.

Gray wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "Oh."

They sat in silence for a moment, staring forward. Gray became aware of Mary looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head nervously toward her. "Gray…" she began.

"W-w-what?" he stuttered.

"Do you want to try it?"

Gray turned deep red, then purple. "W-w-what, what they d-d-did in the book?"

Mary blushed deeply as well and frantically waved her hands. "No! I meant just a kiss!"

"Oh, yeah,…okay." Gray looked extremely relieved, but then a little nervous again as he realized what he has just agreed to. He was still really aroused and it made it awkward to move. He would be mortified if she saw what her words had done to him. And kissing her was not going to help.

Mary moved her face a little closer, until Gray could actually just pick up the scent of the cherry lip gloss she always was swiping on her little pink lips. Her little pink lips…Gray was suddenly mesmerized, staring at her mouth. He broke away to look up at her eyes. She had them closed, waiting expectantly.

Gray's heart was beating a mile a minute. Oh geez, he thought to himself. I don't know what I'm doing. I know I want to do this, but I'm scared I'm going to mess it all up. Urg… He snapped to when he realized Mary was still waiting for him. It's now or never, man, he told himself, and leaned in to gently press his own lips against hers. A little sigh escaped Mary as they shared their first kiss.

Gray was suddenly aware of the roughness of his own lips as he brushed them against her soft, silky ones. He felt a little embarrassed that his lips were so dry, but she didn't seem to mind, as she pressed back against him. They were still for a moment, then they brought their faces apart. They looked into each other's eyes. Mary's were twinkling. "Oh Gray, that was so wonderful." She looked at him dreamily.

He scratched the back of his head nervously, smiling. "Yeah, it was pretty great. Now I see why people are always doing it."

Mary nodded. "Yeah…" she trailed off, leaning close to him again. She obviously wanted another kiss, so Gray complied, pressing his rough lips to hers again. They came apart again and looked at each other. Gray gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry my lips are so dry. It's just, working in the heat like I do, they get dry."

Mary shook her head and brought one small finger to his lips, tracing his bottom lip. The sensation sent a pleasurable chill through Gray's body, arousing him even more than he already had been. "No…" Mary whispered. "I think it's…well, manly, to be a little rough. Like your hands." She reached down and took one of his hands in both of hers, turning it over to face up. "These calluses reflect all the hard work you do," she said as she gently stroked his fingertips with hers.

Man, oh man! Gray thought to himself. She's killing me! He clamped his thighs together and tried to tilt his hips back just a little to hide what was starting to become even more apparent. This action totally defeated the purpose as Mary's attention was drawn to the movement. She glanced into Gray's lap, and then quickly glanced away, blushing and biting her lip.


	3. Going Further

Part 3

Gray wanted to dig a hole with one of the tools he worked on and crawl into it. His face got very hot and he looked in the other direction, wiping his damp hands on his pants. He nervously tapped his foot, trying to think of bad things like his Grandpa yelling at him or the Mayor in a bikini, but nothing was working. He was so turned on by everything Mary had said that there was no going back.

He finally got the courage to turn his head back and look at her again. She just gave him a little smile, and took one of his hands in hers again. He sighed a little in relief that she wasn't mad at him or disgusted or something.

Mary broke the silence. "Do you always wear that hat?" She giggled a little.

Gray laughed too, relieved at the change in subject. "Well, most of the time. Not when I sleep or in the shower," Damn it! He cursed himself silently. He had managed to quickly turn it right back to something physical.

Mary seemed unperturbed, and reached up to the hat. She looked at him questioningly. "Can I?" she asked, her hand just on the bill. Gray swallowed and nodded, and she lifted the hat off of his head.

Mary giggled. "You have hat head!" She set the hat aside and ruffled his blonde hair playfully. Gray couldn't help but smile too. It felt really good, her putting her hands in his hair like that. Suddenly, she stopped messing with his hair and lowered her hands to the back of his neck, clasping them there. She was looking into his eyes again, and then closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him yet again.

This time, the kiss was a little more heated, less shy. They pressed back and forth for a few moments, then Mary's lips parted ever so slightly. Gray could feel the slight change and got nervous, wondering what to do now. He slowly parted his lips as well, and then it just felt natural to lightly bring his tongue forward to just meet her lips. She shuddered a little at the contact, and opened her lips wider. Gray tried to remember other guy's stories about what they did with girls, but he kept coming up blank, only aware of the moment he was in. He tried to just relax, and he moved his tongue farther into her mouth, and started tracing light circles around her tongue. She responded by doing the same to him. As they kissed, he brought his hands up to her hair and began stroking it gently. Mary hummed happily for just a second, which encouraged Gray to continue.

He slid his hands down the length of her hair. He had never realized just how long it was, until his hands were stroking the tips of it at her lower back. He brought his hand away and then brushed the back of his hand against her shoulder, causing her to tremble a little.

They broke away from the kiss for a moment to gaze into each other's eyes. Mary's little pink lips were now a bright red. Mary quickly removed her glasses and set them aside with Gray's hat. Gray reached forward and stroked the side of her face gently, marveling at how soft her skin felt. He looked up into her eyes, which were now much more clearly visible without her glasses. She looked back at him with a thousand emotions mingling in her eyes: excitement, fear, happiness, trepidation, and more. Gray slid his hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, and then he leaned in to kiss her again.

Mary sighed as their lips met, and happily gave in, parting her lips again. The pace of their kissing had sped up, and with it Mary's small hands began to timidly move to touch Gray. She placed them on his chest, where she could feel his heart beating strongly through his shirt. She played with the seams of his shirt, and then reached for his neckerchief, untying it with shaking hands. Gray made a small noise of surprise and tried to control his excitement and fear as he realized - she was actually undressing him. Okay, it was just a little piece of clothing, but it was something.

By then, Mary had managed to undo the knot and the neckerchief was loose. She tugged on one end of it and it came off, sliding quickly against the back of Gray's neck, making goosebumps erupt all over his body. The piece of cloth fluttered to the floor, and Mary wrapped her hands around his neck, running her fingers through the short hair at the back of his head. It felt really relaxing and pleasurable, and Gray groaned a little, breaking away from Mary's mouth to kiss her neck. Mary made a little noise of excitement as Gray's now moist lips worked across her skin. He caught himself for a moment, realizing what a bold move he had made, but she had managed to relax him to the point that he was just going with his feelings.

He pushed any thoughts of worry to the back of his head, and continued to kiss her neck. She raked the tips of her fingers across the back of his neck, and he brought his lips up to one small seashell ear and breathed there softly. Mary squealed quite loudly, in pleasure, and then said, slightly out of breath, "Oops." Gray kissed her neck once more, then brought his lips back up to her ear. "It's fine," he whispered. "I liked it."

Mary gasped and melted back into the couch. Gray was slightly in front of and on top of her now, and he kept on kissing her neck, switching occasionally to the other side. He kissed down to the delicate line of her collarbone, touching what he could with his lips, but it was mostly blocked by her blouse. He brought his hands up to the top pearly button and undid it. His brain worked furiously, yelling out worries and doubts that he pushed away as quickly as they came. All he wanted right now was to be able to kiss a little more of her.

Mary sighed heavily, not resisting at all. Gray was encouraged and unbuttoned the next small button as he kissed underneath her collarbone. Mary's breath was coming very fast and he could feel how hard her heart was beating. Spurred on, he unbuttoned the next button as well. Now, he could just see a little wisp of white lace covering her skin. It fascinated him and he traced a finger along the delicate curve, then worked his finger under the edge of it gently and kissed the skin there as well. He unbuttoned one more button and now he could see pale pink satin below the lace. It molded gently against the curve of her breast, which was small but still the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. Just underneath the thin material, the small hardened nub of her nipple tented up the fabric. Seeing that made him ache suddenly between his legs.

He kissed her through the silky fabric, then moved over and kissed her on the other side. Mary sighed and shifted her hips just slightly. Gray remembered the reason he was having to shift his hips before, and it popped into his head that Mary must be just as aroused as him. He was inexperienced, but he did know that much.

He glanced up at her. She had her eyes shut tightly, whispering to herself softly. Her cheeks were very pink, and her long black lashes lay against them. Gray looked back down at her chest, and used his fingers underneath the lace once more to pull the material underneath her breast, causing Mary to gasp. As the pale, pink tipped flesh was exposed, he couldn't help but gasp himself. He brought his mouth forward again by instinct and wrapped his lips around her. He moved his tongue over her sensitive skin, making her shudder and moan. While kissing the one, he pulled the fabric down beneath the other one, and then transferred his mouth there. He sat back up and kissed her mouth again, bringing his hands up to cup her breasts and knead them very gently. Mary moaned appreciatively and kissed him back with passion. Gray rolled his callused thumbs over her nipples, the sensation causing her to arch her back. Gray broke away from her mouth again and kissed her neck once more.

Gray suddenly pulled away. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm going too fast."

"No…" Mary whispered back breathlessly. "No, keep going. I don't want you to stop, please!"


	4. The Good Part

Part 4

Gray couldn't deny her what she wanted, so he took her mouth once more and kissed her with a quicker pace and more heat. He massaged her breasts lightly for a little while longer, then moved his hands down her stomach, and then outwards to her hips. He heard Mary make a little noise as he squeezed there for a moment. He traced his fingers over her skin, and then traced down to her thighs. He squeezed the tops of her thighs through her skirt, then brought one hand to her knee. He slid it up underneath her skirt, causing her to moan happily.

Gray felt the soft, delicate flesh between her thighs. Something made him keep moving his hand until it reached the outside of her panties. Mary squealed with desire as he kissed her neck hotly and raked one finger tip against the seam. She felt very, very warm down there, and something about that made him ache again between his legs. Mary shifted her hips again, parting her thighs slightly. This made it easier for Gray to explore, and he did. He realized then that the warmth he was feeling was also moist, and something in the back of his mind stirred, telling him what that meant.

He couldn't stop himself from bringing his hand to the waistband of her panties, pulling out the edge slightly, and working his whole hand down the front. He felt her unfamiliar, warm, wet skin with wonder. It was so strange but yet so incredible. Mary, meanwhile, was squirming uncontrollably, whispering incomprehensible things. Gray just made out "Please…" He moved his hand even deeper into her panties until his fingers were at her wettest spot. Mary bit her lip and moaned with desire. Gray, acting with instinct, bent one finger and pressed it into the wetness. It went inside of her, causing her to cry out in pleasure. Gray moved his fingers more quickly, trying to make her keep feeling that way. She did and she gripped his shoulder with her small hand, digging her fingernails into his skin just slightly. Gray looked into her eyes, and as he saw pure need there, he used both hands to remove her panties.

Mary suddenly moved forward to him, her shaking hands sliding down the front of his pants. He was caught off guard as she touched his hardness through the fabric, and he was already so worked up that he almost released right then and there. But he gritted his teeth and held back, knowing that wasn't the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, Mary's small hand moved softly at first, then more confidently across the fabric. Then, she brought both hands to the waistband and worked at his belt. He reached down and helped her undo the buckle, his heart beating very fast. He removed his belt and let it fall with a clink to the floor, and then Mary's hands were at the button, undoing that. Then the zipper, which quickly was open. Gray's hardness strained forward through his boxers. It was just slightly wet at the tip, and Mary shuddered a little when she touched it.

Gray closed his eyes and groaned as Mary's small hand slipped into the gap in the fabric, encircling his bare flesh. She just held it for a moment, but then moved her hands curiously over it. She stroked him like that, making him moan in sheer desire. He started whispering erotic things that he forgot just as soon as he said them. Whatever he had said, it caused Mary to move her hand more quickly. She reached with her other hand and grasped one of his, bringing it back to her wetness. He slid his finger back inside of her, and moved it gently in and out. Mary brought her mouth to his and kissed him. They touched each other with great desire and heat. Mary suddenly clamped her thighs together, trapping Gray's hand there. He kept moving it as much has he could, and she tensed her whole body and leaned forward against him. He felt her trembling against him, and although he worried that he must be hurting her, again something told him he was doing the right thing. Just then Mary gasped loudly and cried out, her body shaking with some kind of spasm. Gray just kept touching her in wonder as she exploded with pleasure. Her breathing and movement slowed down, until she collapsed against him. He kissed the side of her head, and held her there. "Thank you, thank you…" he could just hear her whispering softly.

The both suddenly realized she was still holding his hardness, which had not gotten release. As inexperienced as they were, they both realized what was next, and Mary resumed stroking him. Gray sighed happily and leaned back. It gave him a strange sense of satisfaction to know that he had satisfied her, and he relaxed and just felt the sensations. Before long, he felt it building up inside of him as well. "Oh, Mary…" he managed to get out through gritted teeth. A spark of realization came to him even through all that, and he flailed desperately, just managing to snag the edge of his neckerchief, which he used to catch the explosion that came out of him just a moment later. He melted back into the couch, enjoying the feeling, as Mary stared at him in amazement and then leaned against him, kissing him softly.


	5. Where Is He?

Part 5

Mary nervously tapped the edge of her book with a pen. It was two days later and she hadn't seen or heard from Gray. Her mind was going crazy with worry that he didn't want to see her anymore, that he thought she was weird, or gross, or some other horrible thing. Or maybe he decided that he was too good for her. He's a lot more attractive than me, she admitted to herself. But I've always felt like he really liked me…so why hasn't he come to see me? She started the cycle of worry all over again in her head.

She considered going by the blacksmith or even the inn to see him, but she knew she was very emotional, and she was desperately afraid of him rejecting her in a public place, and everyone seeing her cry. So she sat in the library and waited. Every time the door would open with its familiar creak, which wasn't very often, she would sit at attention, hoping it was him. The last time, it had been the farmer Claire, who checked out a book on chicken breeding. Mary assisted her and then collapsed back into the chair as she left.

She decided to do something to keep herself busy, to try and take her mind off of it. She got a duster and set to work on the shelves. After she had been at it for twenty minutes, she just barely heard the door creak, but didn't get her hopes up this time, and kept dusting. She heard footsteps approaching her, and she turned around curiously.

It was him! It was Gray! Her heart leapt in her chest with joy, but then sank in despair just as quickly as she agonized whether or not he was just coming to tell her that the other night was a mistake.

Gray smiled sheepishly at her and pulled his hat a little lower on his head. "Hey," he said softly.

Mary fidgeted with the duster. "Hey," she replied, looking down at the ground.

Gray shifted his weight back and forth on his feet. "Um…um, how are you doing?"

Mary kept looking at the ground. "Good. And you?"

"Good." They stood in silence for what seemed like hours. Then they both suddenly looked up and started talking at once.

"Mary, I-"

"Gray, why-"

They both stopped and laughed nervously, then Gray made a little gesture. "You go first."

Mary took a deep breath. "Why…why didn't you come by yesterday?" she asked quietly.

Gray scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Grandpa made me do a bunch of extra chores. Plus…I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me or not."

Mary gaped at him. "Why wouldn't I?"

Gray fidgeted. "I don't know…I thought maybe you thought I was…I don't know…like some kind of pervert or something."

Mary sighed in relief. "Oh, of course I don't think that!" She was so relieved and happy that she threw her arms around his neck for a hug. He encircled her waist with his arms, and shaking just a little with nerves, leaned in and kissed her softly. Mary sighed and kissed him back.

Mary rested her head against his shoulder. The door creaked open once again, snapping them to attention, and they broke apart, Mary industriously going back to dusting, and Gray scanning the bookshelves blindly. It was just Claire, coming back to return the book already. She explained that she wrote down the part she needed, and figured why keep it around any more. Mary thanked her, blushing furiously. Claire raised an eyebrow and looked from the embarrassed Mary, over to Gray, who was staring at Mary like a sad puppy, and then back at Mary.

Claire moved her body so that her back was to Gray, in case he could read lips. "Am I interrupting something?" she whispered to Mary.

"N-n-no! I mean, yes. I mean, no. Well, actually, a little." Her eyes shimmered up at Claire. Claire could sense what was up, and winked at Mary. She discreetly left.

Mary returned to Gray. He slid the book he had been pretending to look at back onto the shelf. Mary exhaled audibly, then stepped closer and took both of his hands. "Why don't you come back and see me tonight?" she implored him.

Gray's mind was inundated with memories of what had happened their last night together, and he nodded his head vigorously.

"Okay, come back at 8 o'clock," Mary told him.

He kissed her once more, and then left. Mary returned to her desk, sighing a little. She wanted him to stay with her now, but she didn't know what would happen while they were together, and she didn't want to risk being interrupted by anyone.

The hours seemed to drag on until it was night. Mary went up to her room after dinner. She changed her clothes into the "sexiest" thing she owned, a pink short sleeved blouse with cap sleeves, and a gray and white floral skirt that was shorter than her other ones. She brushed her hair, and swiped on a little more cherry lip gloss. She slipped in the back entrance into the library, and sat in wait for Gray.

A few minutes later, there was a light tapping on the door. Mary jumped up and rushed over to open it. Gray grinned widely when he saw her, and pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of wildflowers. She drew him inside and hugged him, and then locked the door behind him.

Gray glanced over at that. "Eh? Are you afraid I'm going to get away?"

Mary giggled. "No, I always lock it at night. I don't want anyone wandering in…"

Gray blushed a little, and then his mind was overwhelmed with a sudden realization. He slapped himself on the forehead. "Mary, what about the door that goes into your house? Is that locked? Was it locked…the other night?"

Mary looked down at the bouquet she had taken from him. "It wasn't locked the other night, but it is now."

Gray smiled nervously. Mary put the flowers in a glass of water, and then they went to "their couch" together, sitting down carefully. Mary took off her glasses and Gray took off his hat, and they laid them aside. They sat in silence for a while, both staring down at their own hands. Mary edged just a little closer to Gray, and reached over and took his hand in hers. They laced their fingers together, and squeezed back and forth for a few minutes. Gray turned his head towards Mary, and took his other hand up to stroke her hair. He admired how glossy and beautiful it was. Mary looked back at him lovingly. Gray wanted to tell her something, but he was so nervous he was afraid it was going to come out all backwards.

"M-m-mary…"

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Mary…I….I think you're really special," he managed to say. "You're not like other girls…I mean, you're better than them. I don't feel as nervous around you, and I feel like you really like me for who I am."

Mary just listened quietly, her eyes shimmering.

"What I'm trying to say is… I …"


	6. Studying in the Library

Part 6

"I love you." Gray said, blushing and twiddling his fingers.

Mary's heart was so full of happiness, she thought it might burst. "Oh, Gray, I love you too. I've always loved you."

Gray looked very happy as he leaned in to kiss her, stroking her face at the same time. The kiss became more passionate, and their hands started roaming. Gray's quickly found her breasts and lingered there, while Mary's raked up and down the sides of his ribcage.

Gray fumbled with the buttons on her blouse for a moment, finally getting them undone. He pushed the garment back on her chest and moved his kisses downwards. He kissed her breasts through the thin fabric of her bra, making her tremble with desire. Examining the lacy garment, he realized it had a clasp in the front. He worked at it with his fingers, finally making it spring open. He sighed as he saw her bare, perfect breasts. A little thrill went through him as he realized she probably wore that kind of bra on purpose for tonight because she knew he was coming. Spurred on by this, he lapped at each nipple eagerly, making her squeal out in delight.

Mary leaned back on the couch long ways, and Gray layered on top of her. She spread her thighs slightly, causing her skirt to ride up, and Gray moved into the space between. He had one callused hand on her bare thigh, and the other gently touching her left breast. Mary moaned as Gray moved up against her, his hardness pressing into the outside of her panties. He grinded against her, stimulating both of them greatly, even through their clothing.

Mary couldn't believe how amazing it felt. The feeling of his weight on top of her, his kisses, his hands moving over her, the friction between their legs; everything. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, tightening her muscles against him. She grinded back against him, and they soon synchronized their rhythm. Before long, Mary dug her small fingernails into his back, clamped her thighs even tighter, and suddenly shuddered and moaned as she climaxed. Gray was pretty close himself and the overwhelmingly wonderful feeling of her climaxing against him caused him to release himself. He gritted his teeth as he bucked furiously against her.

They lay together, basking in the amazing feeling of afterglow. Gray kissed her neck and shoulders, as Mary caught her breath. They finally sat up together, untangling themselves. Gray looked down into his lap sheepishly. "Errr…I probably need to go back to the inn and change my boxers." Mary covered her mouth to stifle a little laugh, making Gray laugh as well.

Gray leaned in to kiss her more. "I hate to leave already…"

Mary placed a finger to his lips. "Come back tomorrow night too?"

He nodded eagerly in agreement.

Mary shyly looked at her fingernails. "Maybe we could…go up to my bedroom tomorrow."

Gray swallowed hard and fidgeted. Her bedroom! There would be a bed in there…that they could actually stretch all the way out on… and maybe even more could happen there…he shook himself slightly to snap out of the daze induced by imagining what might happen.

They kissed one more time. As Gray stood up, he uttered a four letter word under his breath when he looked down at his lap, seeing the rapidly speading wet spot. Oh my God, this is so embarrassing….he thought to himself.

Mary, being ever attentive, noticed it as well and blushed deeply. Then, living up to her smart girl reputation, she leaped up and scooped up a thick stack of books from the shelf. "Here," she said, handing the stack to him. "Carry it like this, with your arms held low in front of you like it's really heavy, and it covers it up perfectly."

Gray did so, and they both marveled that it worked. He kissed her gratefully one more time, promising to come back the next night.

As Gray walked awkwardly back to the Inn and up the stairs to his room, he was grateful for three things - his very smart and wonderful girlfriend Mary; the fact that no one was in the inn at that exact moment; and the fact that Cliff no longer shared a room with him at the inn, so that he could drop the books right when he got in there and deal with his little problem in complete privacy!


	7. Gray's Miserable Hunt

CLANG

CLANG!

Gray missed his mark and hit the anvil hard, earning his grandfather's wrath. "Boy! Pay attention to what you're doing! You need to focus on what's in front of you, not daydream about nonsense! Get it together!"

Gray winced and tried to refocus on what he was doing. But…his mind kept drifting back to Mary. Memories of the wonderful sensations they had shared flooded his mind and made it impossible to focus.

Because of his inattention, his grandpa made him stay an extra hour for practice and/or punishment. When he finally finished, he went out into the cool fall air, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He stalked around town absentmindedly, his mind full of worry and anticipation about what might happen that night. Mary had said they would go up to her bedroom this time…his mind wandered to what the characters had done in Mary's book, and he wondered if they might go that far. He tingled all over just thinking about the possibility.

Still…he was a natural worrier, and he kept following a path in his mind…what happens if she does this? What happens if I do that? And then what about this…? And that? He ended up slumped down on the bench in Rose Square, his mind obsessing on the idea of "protection." He knew from other guys that if the girl wasn't on the pill, then you had to use a condom. He really doubted Mary was on the "pill." He wasn't even 100 sure what that meant! And how could he even ask her such a thing? But, if he showed up unprepared and she really did want to go all the way, it would be absolutely miserable to have to stop when they got that close. He resolved in his mind that he would have to somehow get one of these condoms and bring it with him.

But where do you get them? He thought about the supermarket, but he had spent lots of time just staring at the shelves in there when he had time to kill, and he had never seen such a thing. Maybe they kept them behind the counter? But how do you ask for them? And Karen was always hanging out near there, especially in the afternoons. He didn't want it to get all over town that he was buying condoms. Then where could he go? He thought of all the guys in town and where they got theirs, if they even used them. He kept coming up blank every time.

He suddenly had an idea. The Clinic! They might have something like that, or at least know where he could get it. But Elli was there…ugh. He felt a little sick as he thought about having to ask her. She handled most of the business, and Doctor usually only saw to people that were actually ill. He could make up something, he figured.

He marched over to the Clinic and strode through the door, trying to feel confident. Elli greeted him from her desk. "Good afternoon, Gray. What can I do for you?"

All his confidence faded and he slumped a little. "Er…I don't feel good. Can I see the Doctor?"

Elli wrote on her clipboard. "And what is troubling you?"

Gray frowned. "W-w-why do you need to know?"

Elli fixed a stern eye on him. "I have to tell the Doctor why someone wants to see him, so he can be prepared. Come on, just tell me what's wrong. It's all right," she ended a little more soothingly.

"Um, well…" He considered for a moment just telling her, then horrified, he pushed that thought out of his head. "I have a stomachache," he fibbed.

"Oh, well, I can sell you a digestive, if that's all it is," Elli said.

"No!" Gray yelled, startling Elli. "Er, I'm sorry," he apologized awkwardly. "I just…I just think I need to see the Doctor."

Elli raised her eyebrows, and then wrote a little more on her clipboard. "All right, go behind that curtain there, and I'll get the Doctor."

Gray waited in the small area, first sitting in the chair, then on the edge of the examining table, then finally standing up and leaning against the wall in the corner, tapping his foot nervously.

Doctor arrived a few moments later. He looked mildly intrigued. "What seems to be the trouble, Gray?"

Gray sat down quickly in the chair and lowered his head, removing his hat and turning it round and round in his hands. "I, ah, I ….I lied," he blurted out. "I don't have a stomachache."

Doctor looked really intrigued now. He folded his arms across his chest. "Oh? Then what's going on?"

Gray mumbled under his breath. Doctor leaned in a little. "What was that Gray? I couldn't hear you."

"I need a condom!" Gray blurted out forcefully, much louder than he had intended to. He immediately winced and covered his face with his hands.

Doctor stifled a laugh and nodded. "Oh, well then. That's not a problem. Elli?" He raised his voice, calling out for his wife.

Gray gestured frantically with his hands, panic all over his face. "Nooo!" he wailed in agony. "Don't call her!"

Doctor turned back to Gray. "Don't worry, she's a medical professional. She's not going to judge you." Elli arrived. "Elli, can you go in the sample closet and get some condoms?" Doctor asked in a low voice.

Elli didn't bat an eye as she turned on her heels to fulfill the request. Gray slumped in shame and misery. Elli returned quickly with a small brown paper bag, which she handed to Doctor, and then she departed with a swish of the curtain.

Doctor smiled benevolently at Gray, who was avoiding his gaze. "It's nothing to be ashamed about. Actually, you should be commended for being responsible." Gray didn't respond. "Well, then, here you go." Doctor handed Gray the paper bag. Gray limply stood up and shuffled out of the Clinic.

He felt like running somewhere and hiding forever, he was so ashamed. But as he walked further and further away from the Clinic in the crisp cool air, the embarrassment slowly faded. He made his way to the Goddess Pond. No one was there just then and he sat on the wooden bench. He carefully opened the paper bag and peeked inside. There were small shiny plastic squares in there. He reached in and pulled one out. This one was blue plastic. He looked around nervously. Gray figured since they gave him more than one, he could afford to open one and check it out. With shaking fingers, he tore the corner of the plastic. It opened, and a small circular piece of rubber fell into his lap. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands curiously. He realized how it worked, and he unrolled it slightly. It felt a little wet and slimy.

He was still staring at it in wonder when he heard the crunching of leaves. He looked up in terror, and there was Ann, skipping up the path towards him. "Hey, whatcha got?" she hollered across the distance at him.

Gray frantically grabbed the loose pieces and stuffed them back in the bag, tearing it slightly in the process. Ann got closer, looking at him suspiciously. "What's that?" Her eyes glittered. "Is it snacks? Gimme, gimme!" She reached out greedily, swiping at the bag.

Gray stood up. "Get away!" he bellowed at her, making her flinch at back up warily. Gray tightly held the bag to his chest.

Ann narrowed her eyes at him. "You're weird. And selfish," she hissed at him. "If I had snacks, I would share them!"

Gray just mumbled something in response and stumbled past her, running down the path at a desperate pace. Ann just stared after him, then shrugged. "What a weird guy…"


	8. Come Up to My Room

Part 8

Part 8

After Gray hurried away from the Goddess Pond, he wandered around the village until night fell. The bag was stuffed in his pocket, bulging out oddly. He returned to the inn and went up to his room, taking out one small square and putting it deep in his pocket, and then stuffing the rest underneath his clothing in the drawer.

He went back downstairs and to eat dinner in the main area. Ann sniffed at him as she unceremoniously plopped his dinner in front of him, then turned and huffed away. Gray mumbled and slumped in his chair, shoving forkfuls of food into his face. He finished up quickly and stood up, scraping his chair loudly against the floor. He blushed as a few patrons turned to look at him curiously. Urg! It just feels like everyone knows what I'm up to, he worried to himself as he stomped up the stairs. He went back to his room and removed his hat, throwing it on the bed. He stood in front of the mirror and brushed his hair, then went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He wished he had cologne or something like that to put on, but he didn't, so he just went as he was.

A few minutes later, he was standing at the front door of the library. He knocked softly and he heard scurrying noises from within, and then Mary's face appeared through a crack in the door. She let him in, and once the door was closed behind him, threw her arms around him happily, smothering him with kisses.

She pulled away to catch her breath. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "You're not wearing your hat."

Gray sheepishly shrugged. "Nope."

Mary took his hands in hers and squeezed them for a while, looking up at him. He was racked with nerves, but he managed to smile back at her. She shyly looked at the ground and whispered, "Well…would you like to see my room?" Gray swallowed and nodded, so Mary took him by one hand up to the second floor of the library. She carefully unlocked and pushed open the door leading into her house, and they went through together.

The first door on the right was her room. They tiptoed in and shut the door behind themselves. Gray stood for a minute in wonder, looking at her room. It was decorated very well. It was pretty without being too cutesy. There were lavender curtains dressing the windows, and the carpet was a deep shade of eggplant. The furniture was all matching, made out of a shiny mahogany. She had a vanity with a large oval mirror. Dainty bottles of perfume and lotion adorned the dresser top, and a silver plated hairbrush lay there as well. A small cream colored lamp on a side table was the only light source, washing the room in dim light. Then the bed…the bed…Gray stared at it, feeling nervous all over again. The bed was the same deep purple color as the carpet. She had several pillows of different shapes and sizes propped up against the headboard.

Mary gestured towards the bed, and Gray stepped forward stiffly. This was it…he was going to get into her bed. They each approached it from a different side, slipped off their shoes, and clambered on top of it. Mary sat with her legs folded underneath her, and Gray sat with his legs crossed. He picked at a stray thread on his pants leg, staring straight down. Mary scooted a little closer to him, and he looked up at her.

Her eyes shimmered with desire. His mouth opened a little in surprise. She sidled right up next to him, clasping her hands around the back on his neck, and making him gasp as she planted kiss after kiss warmly on his neck. His body prickled all over with sensation. Gray sighed and shut his eyes softly, letting Mary relax him with her kisses.

Mary kissed a trail from his neck to his ear, then along his jawline, finally finding his mouth. He accepted her kiss hungrily, pressing back into her and bringing his hand up to tangle gently in her hair. She moaned into his mouth at the feeling, and his whole body tingled again.

He brought his hand down to her shoulder, and with each kiss, put gentle pressure on her, pushing her back onto the bed. When she was flat on her back, he situated himself above her, nestling his own hips in between her thighs. He kissed down her neck to the curve of her shoulder, kissing her through the fabric of her blouse. His kisses continued to move downward, reaching her breastbone, where he worked to open the snap there. It came open with a satisfying pop, and realizing something, he gripped each side of the collar firmly in his fingers, and pulled apart with a little force. The blouse quickly opened all the way down in a succession of pops. Mary gasped in surprise and delight.

Gray kissed her all over her skin, then fumbled with the clasp of the bra. This one was a little different from the last time, and Mary had to reach down and help him undo it. It finally came open and Gray gently pushed the lace to the side, revealing her tender skin. Mary sighed in pleasure and arched her back slightly. He leaned in and kissed her softly, then parted his lips and traced a circle around her nipple with his tongue. Mary squealed softly and reached down, grabbing a small fistful of his hair. It didn't hurt Gray; actually, it felt rather good when she pulled on it lightly. He kissed her with more passion and she tugged a little harder on his hair, making him moan in pleasure.

His hands wandered down to her hips and massaged there gently. He stroked his hands down her thighs, all the way to the hem of her skirt, then pushed her skirt all the way up to her waist. His rough, callused fingers chafed lightly against her pale skin. He traced them up to the apex of her thighs, and there he felt her panties. He looked down and he could see them. They were light pink with black lace trimming, and they felt incredibly soft. Gray bit his lip, overwhelmed by the tantalizing image. He drew his fingers across the moist spot in the very center, making Mary shudder. "Oh, Gray, Gray…" Mary whispered, enraptured. He continued to touch her lightly through the fabric. She longed for more, and thrust her hips up at him desperately, urging him to touch her with more pressure. He complied, mashing his fingers into the soft, wet fabric. Mary writhed in delight against him.

Gray was incredibly turned on as well, and his arousal was pressing in the downy comforter. He groaned in pleasure at Mary's delight, and also because he rubbed himself against the bed at the same time.

Gray worked his fingers underneath the lacy material from the side, and slipped one finger inside her soaking wet flesh. Mary cried out in pleasure, and he moved his finger in and out gently, then with more speed. Seeing her react to his touch aroused him so much that his hardness actually hurt, feeling like it couldn't get any harder.

He could actually see down there this time, and he was surprised by how it looked. It was definitely unusual looking, but strangely beautiful at the same time, like a pink rose bud. He licked his lips, and then tilted his head down to bring his mouth to it. "Oh, Gray!" Mary cried out in shock and ecstasy, as he explored the silky depths with his tongue. It tasted slightly sweet, and he continued to lap at it eagerly, amazed at what was happening.

"Oh…Gray, Gray…I want you," Mary breathed, the desire dripping from her voice. Gray instinctively knew what she meant by that, and let go of the edge of her panties, the wet fabric covering her once again. He took his hands to the waistband and pulled them down over her hips, and then all the way off. He then brought his hands to his belt and began unbuckling it furiously, throwing it to the side with a clank. He unzipped his trousers and eased them off. Mary laid back, face flushed, awaiting him expectantly.


	9. All The Way

Part 8

Part 9

Gray's hardness was very evident underneath his boxers, and he kneeled there for a moment, catching his breath. He then slid his underwear off. The upper half of his clothing was still intact, and his shirt tails hung down and framed his throbbing member. Mary looked at him and shuddered, then closed her eyes tightly. Gray's brow furrowed with worry. "What's wrong?" he asked, leaning in and kissing her gently.

Mary bit her lip, then whispered, "I'm scared." Gray stroked her face reassuringly. "I'm a little scared too," he admitted. Mary swallowed and nodded, then looked him in the eyes. "I'm scared it's going to hurt."

Gray hadn't really considered that, and then he began to worry as well. He didn't want to hurt her, not even a little bit. But he wanted her so badly…

Mary began to whisper again. "In all the books I've read, it hurts the first time a girl…you know…" She trailed off. Her eyes shimmered and her mouth relaxed a bit as she said, "Oh, but I remember…they always say it doesn't hurt for very long, and then it feels really good."

Gray hoped that was true. "But, if you don't want to…" he whispered to her, wishing with all his might that she DID want to.

Mary shook her head fiercely. "No, no, I DO want to…I'm…I'm ready." She nodded resolutely. "But first…"

Gray realized what she was hinting at and he reached down to his pants at the side of the bed, fishing the condom out of his pocket. He proudly came back up…only to see Mary holding an identical package.

They both couldn't help but laugh. "Where did you get that?" they both blurted out at the same time. Mary giggled and said, "From Elli at the Clinic." Gray nodded and said, "I got mine from the Clinic too." Mary bit her lip. "Well, I guess they figured out what we're doing tonight!"

They both laughed some more and kissed sweetly, the tension completely gone. They rubbed their bodies together for a few moments, then broke apart to get prepared.

Gray fumbled with the small package. He tore the corner, like he had done before, but this time, he had to wriggle his fingers inside to retrieve the little piece of latex. He brought it out, and hesitated just a minute. Mary reached up and plucked it out of his fingers. "Let me do it…" she whispered. The thought of her doing that was so erotic, he just nodded mutely.

Mary brought the condom to rest on his tip. He trembled just slightly at the contact. She held on to the top of it, and unrolled the rest down his length. She looked up at him, then looked away shyly. "I read how to do it…in a book…"

Gray chuckled inwardly, blessing the wealth of knowledge that could be found in that library. Mary laid back again, just a hint of fear in her movements, and splayed her thighs wide enough for Gray to fit between. He lowered himself down to her and rested the tip of his hardness against her slick opening. He looked her deeply in the eyes, looking for confirmation that this was really what she wanted.

Mary whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," Gray whispered back, and then he pressed himself ever so slightly inside of her. He quickly looked her in the eyes again, checking for any little bit of pain. She didn't seem to be hurting.

He pressed a little deeper, and Mary bit her lip. "Does it hurt?" Gray asked quickly, pulling himself back out of her slightly.

"N-no," Mary whispered. "Keep going." Gray shut his eyes and pressed forward again, and Mary cried out.

"Oh no, I'm hurting you," Gray moaned.

Mary gripped him firmly by the waist. "It has to hurt a little at first. It's okay." Gray nodded, and this time, instead of a timid push, he plunged deeply in with one thrust.

Mary's hand flew to her mouth, and she muffled an anguished cry. Tears sprung to her eyes, and then to Gray's as well. "Oh, no, Mary, I don't want to make you cry!" he whispered, kissing her comfortingly.

"No, I'm all right," Mary said, choking back a small sob. "It was like…ripping off a bandage. It hurt very badly for a moment, but now it's over."

"Are you sure?" Gray asked, still worried. Mary nodded and pulled him in for a kiss, and he began to rock in and out of her slowly. It felt indescribably amazing for him, but he still worried that it wasn't good for her. He looked down at her again, and she was smiling and moaning in pleasure. This cheered him up, and he pulsed a little more strongly against her. She responded positively by tilting her hips up at him and pressing them in her own rhythm.

Gray was overwhelmed by the powerful feeling. The warmth and friction was just incredible, and he felt like he could release then and there. But he wanted the feeling to last, so he held on.

Mary, meanwhile, had begun writhing against him. He pressed harder into her and she gasped in pleasure, taking him deep inside. He could feel something inside her tightening and pulling on him. Mary's breath became ragged and shallow, and then she shuddered heavily, covering her mouth to muffle her cries of pleasure. "Gray! Gray!" he could just hear through her hand. It was too much for him to take, and he felt like she was pulling it out of him as he pressed as deep as he could and then exploded inside of her. His climax intensified and lengthened hers, and she cried out with renewed pleasure as he tensed and relaxed over her. He collapsed onto her, sweaty and exhausted, but more satisfied than he had ever been in his life.


	10. Gray's Birthday

Part 10

Weeks passed, and soon it was winter. Mary and Gray both agreed it was their favorite season, as it contained both of their birthdays, and several fun holidays like Starry Night Festival and New Year's Eve. They both also liked how quiet the season was, kind of like them.

On one such quiet winter day, the happy young couple strolled around town, bundled up and holding hands. Gray looked over and smiled at Mary, who beamed shyly back up at him. It was Gray's birthday, and Mary had already surprised him at work by bringing him a special birthday lunch. She had been bringing him a lunch every day ever since they were officially a couple, but this was special because it contained his favorite foods: White Curry, Candied Potatoes, and his absolute favorite, Baked Corn. Mary really had to go out of her way to get corn in winter, but she would do anything to make Gray smile. Saibara, Gray's grumpy grandfather had even smiled widely and roared with laughter when Mary presented him with a serving of lunch as well. Although at first, he wasn't very approving of the relationship, as it made Gray distracted, he soon realized that it also made Gray more determined. His gruffness towards Mary had faded considerably over time.

So, on this day, Gray's 22nd birthday, he and his girlfriend shared the rest of the day together. Gray had cautiously asked his grandfather for the day off, but he had refused, saying that Gray was lucky to get the last year's off since it fell on a Thursday, but to take a Friday off this year was too much. It was their busiest day of the week, being the day after they were closed and all. Gray sulked about it for a while, but he understood where his grandfather was coming from, and knew he could spend the rest of the day with Mary.

They walked through town, stopping to talk to other townspeople. Gray had warmed up towards other people, thanks to Mary. They still were both shy by nature, and preferred it to be just the two of them, but they got along with everyone in town quite well.

They decided to stop by Cliff and Claire's farm on the way to Mother's Hill. Cliff was shoveling snow from around the edges of the farmhouse, and paused in his work to greet them. "Hey there," he said, plunging the shovel into the snow and resting his arm on it. "What brings you two here today?" he asked, brushing his blonde tipped bangs out of his eyes with the back of his thickly gloved hand.

Mary smiled shyly and twiddled her mittens. "Claire told me that you guys have a lot of new chicks on the farm, and a new lamb. She said I could come by and see them."

Cliff grinned. "Yeah, no problem. Come with me." He turned quickly, his ponytail swishing over fur trimmed collar, and stepped through the snow towards the barn. He pulled the heavy wooden barn door open with a loud creak, and they all went in together. Claire was inside, squatting down by the lamb, brushing it lovingly. She looked up when they entered, crinkling her blue eyes happily at the sight of her husband, and also giving Gray and Mary a smile. Mary squealed softly and rushed forward to pet the tiny animal. She and Claire chattered happily about the lamb and the impending birth of a calf from Bessie, their cow who had won the Cow Festival the past summer. Cliff and Gray stood back a little, watching them, and Cliff turned an eye on Gray. "So…you guys doing all right?"

Gray nodded. He and Cliff had been roommates at the inn for three seasons last year, before Cliff ran out of money and ended up working for Claire, which led to them falling in love and getting married. Gray had never been best friends with Cliff or anything, but they did get along. They had tended to stay on their own sides of the room, and although they had sat together at dinner almost every night, between Cliff's shyness and Gray's sullenness, they hadn't shared a lot of conversations.

However, both of them had opened up more to people since finding love. Gray spoke, "Yeah, she's really great. I wish there was some way we could just get married and be like you guys; you know, have our own place and everything, but there's just no way. I'm just an apprentice, and all through my grandfather gives me an allowance, it's totally not enough to support a wife with." He sighed heavily. "It kills me after I…uh…visit her every night to have to go back to my cold little bed at the inn and sleep alone."

Cliff smiled sympathetically. "That's rough, man. I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't. We really lucked out with our situation. Things were pretty easy." He shrugged. "I guess you just have to tough it out and enjoy what you do have. Things might get better before you even expect them to."

Gray bit his lip. "I hope so."

Right then, Claire and Mary had stood up together and were moving towards them. "Gray, let's go see the chicks now," Mary tugged on his arm, and Gray couldn't help but grin happily and let himself be dragged off. Cliff said goodbye and went back to finish his snow shoveling, while Claire took them into their brand new chicken coop. It was reinforced with stone, and it was just gorgeous, well, for a chicken coop, anyway. Claire pointed out the chicks, ticking off their names: "Chii, Cheep, Bokbok, Beakers, and that one is Chicky," pointing to the smallest one, that was scurrying around.

Mary giggled. "They have such silly names!"

Claire grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm not the best at naming animals. When you have so many, you start to run out of new names. I didn't want to reuse any of the names of my chickens that were killed in the hurricane," she swallowed hard here to keep from crying, "but, I couldn't think of anything either. So…I let Cliff make up their names. I think he was trying to be funny, and he didn't think I'd actually use them. But I did!" She laughed as she scattered some chicken feed.

Mary scooped up "Chicky" and petted the fluffy little bird. "He's so cute…" she cooed. "Wait, is it a boy or a girl?" she asked, ever curious.

Claire shook her head. "Can't tell yet. Not until they get a little older. Of course, we always hope for girls. More hens means more eggs. We really only need to keep one male around, and the rest get sold back to Rick."

"Oh, and why is that?" Mary asked innocently.

Gray blushed at her question, already knowing the answer himself. Claire laughed, and Mary realized the answer as well. "Oh, silly me!" she giggled.

Claire put on a mock serious air. "You see, children, when a rooster and a hen love each other very much…" They all burst into laughter.

Mary and Gray said goodbye to Claire at continued on to Mother's Hill. They hiked up the familiar trail, and rested on a rock together. They cuddled together. Gray teased Mary by trying to wiggle his cold hands into any place warm he could find on her, and she squealed and tried to squirm away from him. "Eeek! That's cold!" Mary cried. She took one little hand swiftly to his waistband and slipped it down the front. Gray jumped about a foot into the air. "Aahh!" he yelled. Mary withdrew her hand quickly and stuck her tongue out at him. "See how it feels?" Gray shivered and laughed.

They sat for a while talking and admiring the view. Then they stood up and set back. They were just passing the path to Goddess Pond when Mary tugged at Gray, pulling him in that direction. He complied and they walked up the well trodden path.

Mary urged him over to the gate to the hot springs. She didn't say a word, just looked up at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. Gray caught her drift. "You…you want to get in?" he asked in disbelief. "But we don't have our bathing suits."

Mary still didn't say anything, just bit her lip and kept staring at him pleadingly. Gray blushed all over. "W-w-what if someone sees us?" he stammered nervously.

Mary finally spoke. "They won't," she assured. "It's Friday. No one else uses the hot springs today. And besides, traditionally people didn't wear bathing suits in the hot springs."

Gray fidgeted and looked around for a while, then finally nodded his head in assent. Mary squealed happily and tugged him behind the gate. Their cold fingers fumbled quickly with zippers and buttons, and soon all their clothing was deposited on the bench. Mary's lacy little pink panties lay on the top of the heap. They both wasted no time in clambering into the warm water. It felt so wonderful after the winter air had been chilling their skin, and they sunk in as deep as they could.

Mary rested her head on Gray's shoulder with a happy sigh, as he relaxed into the water. "Are you having a good birthday?" Mary questioned him.

"Mmm hmm." Gray responded. "Thank you," he tilted his head down to kiss her. "Hey, your birthday is coming up soon, too." he mused. "What do you want for your birthday?"

Mary blushed a little and smiled, but didn't say anything. Gray gave her a puzzled look. "What? I'm not good at guessing," he mumbled. Mary traced her fingers in circles on his thigh under the water. Gray laughed. "Oh, you want that? But you can have me whenever you want."

Mary smiled sadly. "No, not really. I can't always have you when I want you. I wish…I wish we could be together all the time," she said softly.

Gray realized then what she meant. Doom and gloom started clouding up in his mind. It was just what he wanted as well, but he had no way of giving it to her. If only he wasn't just an apprentice, then maybe he would be able to ask her to marry him. But he didn't want to promise her something that he couldn't really give her. He slumped in the water.

Mary looked at him, flustered with worry. "Oh no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you upset. Oh no…" she trailed off and her eyes filled with tears. "If you're not ready for that, then I understand."

Gray shook his head in anguish. "No! It's not that I'm not ready. I really want…us to be…m-m-married. But…" he hung his head in shame. "I…I can't provide for you yet. I'm still just an apprentice, and I can't support us."

Mary hugged him tightly. "Oh, I'm just relieved that you do want to marry me! It doesn't have to happen right away. As long as I know that you want to, then I'm happy."

Gray looked at her, doubt and worry etched all over his face. "But…it might take a long time…"

Mary squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'd wait forever."

Gray exhaled deeply, his face finally relaxing, and they held each other happily in the warm water.


	11. Happy Birthday To Me

Part 11

Mary and Gray dried themselves hurriedly with the rough towels kept in the cedar cabinet next to the hot springs, and then dressed as quickly as they could. They ran for her house, their slightly wet hair threatening to freeze in the below zero weather. Mary's parents had suggested that Gray have dinner with them for his birthday. When they got there, however, they were both surprised to see her parents bundling up to go out, suitcases in hand.

"What's going on, Mother?" Mary asked breathlessly.

Anna smiled apologetically. "I know this is sudden, but we're going to a flower festival in another town, where it is still warm this time of year. We happened to run into Lillia at the supermarket, and she told me about a letter she had received today from Popuri. It seems there is this amazing festival we'd never even heard of in a town that Kai and Popuri have stopped in, and of course your father," she rolled her eyes towards Basil, whose handsome face was beaming at the thought of flowers in winter, "just had to go. So, we're meeting Zack at the beach. He'll ferry us over to the train station. We'll be gone about a week, but I know you'll be all right."

Basil clapped Gray on the shoulder. "Take care of Mary, son." Gray's mouth was open in shock. "Of course, you're welcome to stay here while we're gone to look after her." Basil gestured at the kitchen. "We just stocked up today, so you two should be fine for the week." He then gestured at the wine cabinet. "Help yourself to that if you like, just not the ones on the top shelf." He winked at Gray, whose eyes were bugging out in surprise. "Those are for a special occasion, you know?"

Mary's parents then gathered themselves up, kissing Mary goodbye. Basil shook Gray's hand. "I know we promised you dinner for your birthday, and I'm sorry about that. But you two enjoy yourselves." They left then, hurrying towards the beach to meet Zack.

Mary and Gray just stood still in shock for a few moments. They slowly looked at each other. "What just happened there?" Gray asked.

"I have absolutely no idea," Mary responded.

"Did…did your father just tell me to stay here with you and drink his wine? Or am I having hallucinations from the cold?"

Mary shook her head. "Not unless I'm having them too. That's what he said." She clasped Gray's hands happily. "Oh, Gray, do you realized what this means? We can pretend we're married for a week!"

A grin slowly spread across Gray's face. "Yeah…" he said, pulling Mary in for a kiss.

Mary then set to work making him a birthday dinner. They talked happily as Mary worked. Gray tried to lend a hand, but Mary insisted that he just relax, because it was his birthday, after all.

Dinner was wonderful. Mary had been hesitant to prepare baked corn for two meals in a row, but Gray had insisted that was what he wanted. "I could eat baked corn every day!" he proclaimed.

When dinner was over, they excitedly climbed the stairs to Mary's room. When they got inside, Mary gently pushed Gray onto the bed, and told him to stay there. "Close your eyes and don't peek, okay?" she implored him. Gray shut his eyes, but teased her by cracking one open slightly. "Oh, you!" she said, and fished an eyemask out of her nightstand, strapping it on over his head. "There you go. And seriously, don't peek!"

Gray nodded, his eyes totally obscured. He could just hear rustling noises, and he thrilled himself by trying to imagine what was going on. After a few minutes, he finally heard Mary's voice. "All right, you can look now," she whispered shyly.

Gray removed his mask and was stunned. There was his Mary, looking totally different. Her long black hair, which she always wore down, was pulled up in a high, loose ponytail, with soft curling tendrils falling down on the sides of her face. Her glasses were off, and she had black mascara on her eyelashes, making them even darker and longer than before. She was wearing cherry red lipstick. And on her body…she wore a cherry red bra with matching panties. Gray couldn't believe his eyes. He loved Mary no matter how she looked, but this was just amazing.

She stood a little ways away from the bed, looking nervous. He realized because she didn't have her glasses on, she couldn't see the expression on his face, and all she had to go on was his absolute silence. He cleared his throat and spoke. "You…you look so amazing…" he managed to get out.

Mary breathed a sigh of relief. "Good…I thought maybe I looked ridiculous."

"No, no, not at all!" Gray exclaimed. "You look so sexy…" he whispered.

Mary smiled shyly and walked slowly towards him, wobbling just a little and reaching out to grab the bed, limited by her poor eyesight. She climbed up on the bed with him and crawled in for a kiss. Gray stroked her arm and gazed into her eyes. "I like your hair like that," he whispered to her. Mary just smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Their kisses quickly became more heated, and Gray's hands wandered over Mary's skimpily clad body. He groaned as her hand found its way into his lap and touched his very hard manhood through his pants. She stroked him for a moment, then both her hands went to his shoulders and gently pushed him back on the bed, into the pillows. Gray was surprised but went with it.

Mary kissed a trail from his mouth to his chest. She unbuttoned his shirt as she went, planting soft, moist kisses straight down the middle until she reached his navel. There, her fingers worked at his belt. Gray moaned as he realized what she intended to do. She had his belt open and quickly undid the button and zipper, and with his help eased his pants down his hips. She continued her trail of kisses below his navel, to the waistband of his boxers. She kept moving down, kissing his hardness through the fabric. Gray sighed and reached down to stroke her hair. Mary then took her small hands to the waistband and tugged his boxers down suddenly, his erection popping out. Gray gasped as Mary took him in her hands and pressed her lips softly to the tip. Her tongue slowly crept out of her mouth , and she licked there very softly for a moment, causing Gray to groan in pleasurable frustration. She then took the whole tip in her mouth, lightly sucking there while squeezing the rest of him with her hands. Gray dug his hands into her soft sheets, grunting and thrusting his hips up at her, urging her to take more in her mouth. She complied, her mouth moving down, then coming back up. She worked him like that for a few moments, then swirled her tongue around quickly, making him cry out in pleasure. He was so turned on, that it didn't take long before he was gritting his teeth, bucking his hips, and crying out her name in ecstasy. Mary kept him in her mouth for a few more moments, then carefully unwrapped her lips from around him, and came up to nestle next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Gray struggled to catch his breath. "Happy birthday to me," he panted.

They laid there for a while, snuggling happily. Then, Mary languidly traced her fingers down his chest, past his stomach, and squeezed him lightly down there to see if he was ready for more. He quickly reacted, his manhood engorging once again, and he rolled on top of her, kissing her urgently. His naked and still slightly damp member pressed into her through her satiny red panties. He could tell just from the slick way her panties moved against her that she was already very wet. With her help, he removed her bra and flicked his tongue across her sensitive pale skin, making her cry out in delight. He worked his hands over her hips and thighs, squeezing and stroking. He then eased her panties off carefully. Without even budging from underneath him, her slim arm reached out and back to the nightstand drawer, opened it, and fished out a condom. Gray kissed her neck hungrily as she tore at the plastic, getting it out and then rolling it down over him with one hand. As soon as it was on, he didn't hesitate, plunging inside of her with one thrust. Mary cried out happily, and they grinded against each other.

Gray took his hands to the undersides of her thighs. She bent her knees and he pushed her thighs forward, so that the tops of her thighs were pressing towards her chest. The different angle felt incredible to both of them. Gray leaned forward and took her mouth in a kiss. He thrust eagerly into her for a few more moments until she gasped hotly, "Let me get on top of you."

He happily complied, pulling out and moving onto his back next to her. She swung her leg over him and climbed on him, carefully easing him back inside. He reached forward and put his hands on her waist, marveling at how beautiful her body was. Her small, perfect breasts, her feminine shoulders, her slim waist. Mary, meanwhile, was working herself up and down on top of him. Her breathing suddenly changed and she pressed down heavily into him. She bit her lip hard and closed her eyes as a long moan emanated from her throat. Gray thrust up into her as she climaxed, and the incredible feeling she gave him made him climax as well. He threw his head back, crying out in complete bliss.

Mary relaxed her body down on to his, kissing his sweaty mouth softly, and then resting her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Gray brought his hands up to stroke her back gently. "This is going to be a fun week…" Mary whispered into his ear. Gray just grinned happily.


	12. Building a Future

Part 12

The week went by so quickly. Too quickly, in both of their opinions. They had had so much fun though. They got to take a bath together every night, and fall asleep holding each other. It was pure bliss. But, when Mary's parents came home, as welcoming as they had been to Gray, he didn't feel right just moving into their house. He wanted a place just for him and Mary.

One evening, when they were relaxing the library together, Mary had an epiphany. She sat up quickly. "Gray! I just thought of something! The upstairs part of the library!"

Gray looked puzzled. "What about it? There's nothing there really."

"Exactly!" Mary gripped him by the shoulders. "We could have it converted into an apartment, and we could live up there. There's already a bathroom, and a room that would be perfect for a bedroom. We'd just have to add a shower in the bathroom and a kitchen."

Gray nodded slowly, realizing that it would work. He kissed Mary happily.

The next day, they went to Gotz together to explain what they wanted. He was so happy for the young couple, that he actually agreed to do it at cost only, in exchange for Gray helping out on the project. Gray eagerly agreed. Between Mary and Gray, they had more than enough saved up to pay for the materials. Mary's parents were also all for the idea, giving them their blessing.

Gray wasted no time in going to the Lake Mine and digging until he found a diamond. He returned to his grandfather's shop, where he cut and polished it, then set it in a ring made out of silver. He took Mary to Mother's Hill the night it was finished, and got down on one knee to ask her to marry him. She agreed, of course.

The whole town was so happy for them. Mary was quickly thrown into wedding planning, with the help of Elli, her grandmother Ellen, Claire, Karen, and Ann, and of course Mary's own mother Anna. Anna was delighted for her daughter to be getting married, and she called for no expense to be spared (within reason, of course!)

It was rough for a little while, because between Gray's blacksmith work (there was no way his grandfather would cut him any slack there,) and working on the apartment, Gray was exhausted by the end of the day. Mary was also quite mentally exhausted from planning the wedding, so often they would meet up at the library in the evening, only to fall asleep while talking. It was okay though, because they knew it would all be worth it.

Their wedding was set for early spring. On New Years Eve, Mary and Gray cuddled at Mother's Hill, watching the fireworks in the far distance coming from Forget Me Not Valley.

"The apartment should be finished in three days," Gray told Mary. "It looks so good up there! I can't wait for you to see it!" Mary had decided to not see it at all until it was finished. "See, in the kitchen we…"

Mary covered her ears. "La la la, I can't hear you! I want it to be a complete surprise…on our wedding day." She blushed and kissed Gray. "I know it will be finished before the wedding, but let's wait to move in until we're married, okay? That will make it more special."

Gray agreed. "So, how's the wedding planning going?" He was happily leaving all the details to her and her "team." "Has your mom started breathing fire yet?"

Mary nudged him in the ribs playfully. "Come on, she just lost her temper that one time."

Gray laughed. "Yeah, but at Carter, of all people! Who yells at a priest?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. But, I'm trying not to blame my mom. She and Dad didn't have a big wedding, and she's trying to live it out through me. But it's all right. She's being really reasonable, and I think it's going to be a big, spectacular event." She squeezed him arm. "Can you survive 'spectacular'?"

Gray nodded grimly. "Yeah, I'm nervous. Really nervous. But I could survive anything if it makes you happy." Mary kissed him. Gray went on. "Oh yeah, I know this is a weird thing for me to worry about, but you know me…I worry. Anyway, I ran into Lillia and she asked who was going to do your flowers, seeing as Popuri is not here now. She usually does all the flowers for weddings, apparently. Is that going to be a problem?"

Mary looked up at him, grinning. "Oh, I have someone."

"Who? Claire? Elli?" Gray asked.

"No, believe it or not - my dad! You know how he loves his plants. He jumped at the opportunity. Though, I know how he thinks all plants are equally beautiful - so be prepared for me to come down the aisle with a bouquet of weeds and blue grass!"

They shared a laugh over that, and then headed back home. Gray walked Mary to her house and kissed her goodnight. "Soon, we won't have to say goodbye at night," Gray whispered to her.

"I know…I can't wait."


	13. Have You Ever?

Ann had insisted on throwing Mary a bachelorette party. So, a week before the wedding, after the inn had closed at 11pm, Mary, Ann, Elli, Claire, and Karen gathered around a small table. Karen smirked. "I have a little surprise planned."

Elli blanched. "Oh, God. Please don't tell me you hired Zack to strip for us."

All five girls erupted in laughter. Karen caught her breath and said, "No, while that's such a good idea," she snickered, "I brought 'Have you?' cards."

The other four girls looked at her, intrigued. Karen explained. "It's a deck of cards with all kinds of sexual stuff on it." Karen saw the look of alarm in Mary's eyes and quickly said, "No, not for us to do to each other! Geez! We all get an alcoholic drink, a big one, like a Long Island Iced tea or something. We take turns reading a card aloud and if you have ever done what's on the card, you have to take a big sip."

The other girls nodded and murmured, giggling a little as they agreed to play. Ann quickly fixed five large extra strength margaritas. Karen started the game off by drawing a card. "Okay, they start these off so easy. Have you ever gone all the way?"

All five girls took a long sip of their drinks, then giggled. Elli went next. She cleared her throat, then read "Have you ever gone down on him?" Again, all five girls took a drink.

It was Claire's turn next. "Have you ever let him go down on you?" This time, everyone but Ann took a drink. Karen pounded a fist on the table. "Girl, is Harris holding out on you? That's just cold." Ann shook her head quickly. "No, I think I look gross down there. It's like…chopped meat or something. He's tried but I won't let him." Elli rolled her eyes. "Speaking as your friend and as a medical professional, that's the way we all look down there. It looks gross to you because you're not attracted to yourself. But Harris is, so let him do it!"

Ann just blushed and shrugged. It was her turn next, so she drew a card. "Have you had sex today?" Claire and Elli both took a sip of their drinks.

Mary's turn was next, so she read a card. "Did you have sex yesterday?" She took a sip, as did Elli, Karen and Claire. Mary frowned at the card. "That's one's not worded in the same format as the others."

Karen snatched the deck from her. "Whatever, Miss Editor. My turn. Ahem…Have you had sex every day for the last 7 days?" Elli and Claire both took sips of their drink. Elli narrowed her eyes at Claire. "You liar. At the beginning of spring? With all you guys have to do on the farm? I don't believe it."

Claire tossed her hair defiantly. "We make time!" She snickered. "Besides, I don't think he can go to sleep without it. It's like his glass of warm milk or something."

All the girls laughed, and Ann slapped a hand on the table. "Oh! I just remembered something!" she yelled. For once, she realized the volume of her voice, and lowered it. "When Cliff lived here, he always took a shower before bed…and it was a REALLY looooong shower."

They all giggled hard, and then Elli pounded her fist and pointed her finger at Ann. "Hey, why were you paying attention to that? Pervert! Claire," she hissed at her best friend, "You better kick her ass."

Claire just laughed, knowing Elli was playing around. Ann blushed. "I…I wasn't! It's just that there would be no hot water left after he was done. So I had to notice!" She stuck her tongue out at Elli, who shrugged and drew a card.

"Ooh. Have you ever done it without a condom?" Elli read, then took a sip of her drink, as did Claire and Karen. Karen eyed Ann and Mary. "You girls need to get with the times and get on the pill!"

Claire laughed at that, then drew a card. "Have you ever done it doggy style?" She, Elli, and Karen took a sip of their drinks.

"I guess we are prudes compared to you guys," Ann mused as she took a card. She stared at it for a moment. "Have you ever done the …reverse cowgirl? What the hell does that even mean?"

Elli, Claire, and Karen all took a long sip, showing that they knew what it meant. Elli then explained the position to Mary and Ann in a very nurse like way.

Mary giggled and drew a card. She read it and blushed deeply. "Oh my! Well….Have you ever let him …spank you?"

Claire, Elli, Karen, and Ann all took sips of their drinks. Karen reached out and cheered glasses with Ann. "Way to go, girl! Get a little bit of that police brutality!" Ann rolled her eyes and set her glass down. Karen then turned on Mary. "Girl, you have got to let him spank you sometimes. It makes a man feel like he's in charge, or something. Anyway, it's hot." Mary just blushed and covered her face in her hands.

Karen drew a card. "Ha ha…Have you ever spanked HIM?" She and Elli lifted their glasses. Mary turned a serious eye on her. "Now how does that make him feel like he's in charge?"

"It doesn't. But sometimes I like to feel like I'm in charge!" Karen roared with laughter.

Elli drew a card. "Have you ever done it in the shower? Pffftt," she said while lifting her glass to her lips. "Who hasn't?" Apparently, not Mary or Ann. Elli shrugged. "Oh well, you will, you will."

It was Claire's turn and she picked up a card. "Have you ever done it in public?" Elli and Karen immediately took a sip, while Claire paused, still thinking. "Is the barn public?"

Elli shoved her best friend playfully. "No, stupid. It's on your property."

Claire shrugged. "Oh well."

Ann drew a card next. "Have you and your guy ever had a simultaneous orgasm? Ha!" she said, throwing the card down. "Those are just a myth." But when she raised her eyes up to the other girls for confirmation, they all were drinking their drinks, looking away. Ann got red and balled up her fists. "No way!" All four girls nodded their heads at her silently.

Elli set down her drink. "If he's right at the edge when you go, it kind of just happens. But it's a very fine line. One bad move, and he's gone, and you're not. That happens too. But you can't TRY to make it happen. It's like trying to sneeze at the same time. But it is possible." She looked at Claire. "Right?" She had to shake her friend, who was tipsily daydreaming about what she and Cliff had done right before she came to this party.

"Huh?" Claire asked, snapping to. The other four girls laughed at her.

Mary drew a card. "Oh. Oh my. Let's skip this one." She tried to put it at the bottom of the deck, but Karen snatched it from her.

"Lemme see!" Karen snickered when she read it. "Have you ever let him in your back door?" She took a swig of her drink and looked up at the other four girls, none of whom were drinking. Mary looked frightened, Ann looked disgusted, and Claire and Elli were shaking their heads.

Elli piped up. "I'm a freak between the sheets, but I draw the line at that! If he even suggested it, I'd club him!" Claire agreed, shivering at the thought.

Karen cocked her eyebrow. "Well, whatever. Different strokes for different folks, right?"

Elli laughed. "Yeah, literally! Wow, with all this dirt we're hearing on Rick, I'm sure glad Popuri is out of town right now!"

Karen laughed. "Yeah, and as open minded as I am, it's good that I have a high alcohol tolerance, because I've had to drink way more than all of you!"

They all laughed and clinked their glasses together, and continued to play.


	14. The Bachelorette Party Continues

Part 14

Part 14

Two hours later, the bachelorette party was still going strong. After reaching a point in the "Have You?" deck that no one could take a drink to, the girls abandoned it. By that time, they were all quite tipsy, and their happy laughter echoed through the inn.

"But seriously, Claire," Ann slurred, pointing at the blonde. "You'd better treat Cliff good."

Claire rolled her eyes. "I doooo treat him good," she slurred back.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ann gave a lopsided grin. "You drank to almost every card in that deck. You guys are having fun on that farm. Fun on the farm! Fun of the farm! That sounds so funny!" Ann hiccuped loudly.

Elli waved her hands authoritatively. "The crown for fun goes to Karen, though! Woo hooooooo!" She clapped her hands and cheered.

Karen tipped her chair back, rolling with laughter. "Jush because I'm a little more adventuroush than the rest of you…" she sighed. The girls were giving her quite a razzing for some of the stuff she had admitted to doing with Rick.

Mary laughed loudly. "I'd never even heard of some of that stuff!"

Karen laughed back. "I know what I'm getting you for a wedding present. The Kama Sutra! You need some variety in yer life. It's not all," she swung her glass here, sloshing drink out, "missionary position."

Mary shook her head. "We do more than that, I sweaaaarrr." She laughed and then put her head down on the table.

"Hey! Hey! Don't go to sleep yet!" Ann practically leaped across the table to shake Mary. "The party's not over yet!"

Mary looked up and yawned. "But, I'm tired…" She tried to lay her head back down on the table, but Ann kept bothering her until finally, she sat up straight and tried to put on an "awake" face.

The party turned a little more raucous as the five girls decided to compare the sizes of their guy's members. At first, they all exaggerated, trying to be funny. Then Ann got a great idea. She stumbled behind the counter and fished out a large notepad and five pens. She cracked up as she passed out the paper and pens. "Here we go…let's draw a picture of it, life sized, and then write your guy's name on it. Hee hee!" Mary was resistant at first, but the other girls urged her on until she was scribbling furiously as well, blushing and giggling the whole time.

"Okay, everybody done? 1, 2, 3, show 'em!" Elli commanded. They all lifted up their papers and laughter echoed through the room as they looked at each other's artwork.

"What the helllll is that supposhed to be, Elli?" Karen roared, pointing at Elli's "artwork."

Elli sneered. "I know I can't draw, but I tried, you hobag. Too bad you didn't have an orange crayon to color in around yours. DO the carpets match the drapes?"

Karen laughed even harder at this, and then turned on Claire. "Oh my God, is that for real? Why aren't you bowlegged yet? Damnnnn…"

Claire stuck her chin out defiantly. "Yes, it's for real, and I'm proud of it!"

Ann looked at Claire's picture wistfully. "I'm sooo jeeeelusssss…"

Claire turned her picture a little away from Ann. "Dream on, loudmouth. He's all mine. Besides, you're not doing so bad yourself," she said while nodding at Ann's picture.

Ann grinned. "Yeah, not bad, huh?"

"Is that a nightstick in your pocket, officer, or are you just glad to see me?" Elli cackled, making all the other girls burst out in laughter as well. Elli then turned to look at Mary's picture. "Let me see that again…awww, thash such a good drawing. You really are an artist. How pretty…"

Mary looked back at Elli's picture. "I wish I could say the same to you…"

Elli stick out her tongue. "I already said I know I can't draw. Besides, the real thing is so wonderful that it can't be reflected on mere paper." The other girls laughed at her. "I'm serious!" she insisted.

As they were holding up their obscene artwork, suddenly a door swung open. "Damn it, girls, I'm trying to sleep, so keep it down!" Doug bellowed, marching out in his bathrobe. The girls all froze, still holding up their pictures. Ann snapped to life first and quickly crumpled hers, and the other girls slapped theirs facedown on the table, but it was too late. What had been seen could not be unseen. Doug's face was very red, and he opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again, turned around sharply and went back to where he came from.

The girls burst out in laughter again, this time trying to be a little quieter. "Oh my god," Karen wheezed. "I am never going to be able to face yer dad again!

Ann shook her head. "Yes, you will, you drunk. You can't stay away from this place."

Karen laughed hard at that. They all snickered a little more at their pictures, before tearing them up into little pieces, lest anyone find them in the trash and be scarred for life. Ann deposited the pieces in the trash, and then all the girls decided it was best to turn in for the night before they got into any more trouble.

As they went out the door together, Harris passed by, doing his late night patrol. "Hello, ladies."

"Helllloooo, occifer…" Elli slurred. "Is that a nightstick-" Claire clamped her hand over her best friend's mouth to keep her from saying something offensive. "Hello, Harris," Claire managed to say. "We're a little tipsy. Do you think you could walk us all home?"

Harris agreed and they set off. The girls were still in good cheer, and they sang as they stumbled along. They made a loop of the town, first dropping off Elli at the clinic, then Karen at the supermarket. They walked a ways more and dropped off Mary at the library, then Harris helped the unsteady Claire straight down the path back to her farm.

Harris shook his head as he walked away. "They're all going to have headaches tomorrow…"


	15. Spank Me

Part 15

Part 15

When morning came, and sunlight brightly shone in through the window, Mary awoke, cracking one eye open. Her whole head throbbed in pain. She was confused as to why until she remembered the events of the night before. Rolling over to get out her eyemask, to at least block some of the light, she noticed a large glass of water and two aspirin lying on top of her nightstand. There was a scrap of paper in her mother's handwriting, "Take these if you enjoyed your party a little too much." Mary smiled and then winced. She quickly swallowed the aspirin and drank the whole glass of water, grateful for her mother's thoughtfulness. She put on the eye mask and rolled back over to try to get some more sleep.

When she awoke a few hours later, she felt completely better. She glanced at the alarm clock to see that it was almost 10:00am. It was time to open the library! She flung off the bedcovers and leapt up, getting dressed in record time. She didn't have time to do her hair, so she pulled it into a quick ponytail, and then hurried down to open the library. It was actually quite busy that morning. A very ill looking Elli brought in her little brother Stu to check out some chapter books. Elli smirked at Mary and held her head, wincing in pain. Mary nodded empathetically.

At about 11:30, Mary put up her usual "be right back" sign on the desk and hurried over to her parents' kitchen. She quickly prepared lunch for herself and for Gray. She smiled, thinking about the fact that soon, she would be preparing Gray's meals in their own kitchen! Remembering that she hadn't had breakfast, she added a little more food to her lunch. She sat and quickly ate her own lunch, then bundled up Gray's and headed out.

Gray looked up from his work when she opened the door to the blacksmith's. He smiled broadly when he realized it was his beloved. He wiped off his hands and came forward to give her a small kiss, since his grandfather was watching, and then took his lunch from her. "Thank you," he said, then lowered his voice to ask, "How was your party last night?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Come by the library when you get off and I'll tell you ALL about it."

Gray raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued, then nodded. They bid each other farewell, and then parted.

Mary returned to the library and continued working. A few hours later, Gray arrived, and they sat on the couch at the back of the library. Mary launched into the party the night before. Gray's eyes got bigger and bigger as she entailed some of the antics of her friends. She carefully avoided the parts about the "Have You?" cards and the drawings.

"Wow, they sound pretty wild!" Gray exclaimed, laughing.

Mary nodded, and since he didn't seem too freaked out by what she had already told him, she tentatively told him about the girls drawing pictures of their guys' "business," omitting of course that she drew one of him. Gray roared with laughter at the mention of an "orange crayon," and the joke about Harris's "nightstick." She laughed as well, getting into telling the story, until she slipped and said "And then Elli looked at mine-" she stopped herself suddenly with a squeak, and clapped her hand over her mouth.

Gray just gaped at her for a moment. "Yours…? Don't tell me…"

Mary looked away, bit her lip, and then nodded. Gray groaned and put his head in his hands. "And you showed that to all the other girls? Ugh…just kill me now!"

Mary put a small hand on him. "They nagged and nagged me until I did one too. And…and Elli said mine was really pretty and that I was an artist! No one made fun of my drawing!" Mary looked at him, and she just caught the corner of a smile peeking out from his hands. He lifted his hands off his face and cleared his throat, squirming a little. "Heh heh…" he laughed softly.

Mary then plunged into the story about the "Have You?" cards. Gray squirmed and protested at first when he realized that she had been divulging the details of their sex life to everyone, but she assured him that it wasn't like she stood up and said, "Gray and I do this and this and that," but instead took a quiet sip of her drink, as most of the other girls were doing. "I took a lot less sips than the other girls!" Mary pointed out. "N-not that that's a bad thing. Some of them, especially Karen, have done a lot of weird stuff that I'd never even heard about and have no interest in trying. Except…" She blushed deeply and twiddled with her fingers.

"Except what?" Gray asked, his ears perking up.

"No, it's dumb." Mary tried to change the subject.

Gray wouldn't let her. "I want to know," he urged. "Come on, I won't laugh or anything."

Mary looked from side to side and took a deep breath, then began. "Okay, there was one thing that all the other girls took a sip to, but I didn't. Most of the things that I hadn't done, Ann hadn't done either, which made me feel relieved that I was normal or whatever, but even Ann had done this. So when they saw that I hadn't, Karen started teasing me that I needed to let you do it, b-because it was really hot."

Gray was really intrigued now, having no idea what she could be referring to. "What was it?" he asked hoarsely.

Mary blushed again and twiddled her fingers. "Promise you won't laugh?" Gray nodded solemnly. "Okay, it was…" she leaned into his ear and whispered it. "For you to spank me."

Gray looked awestruck, then he blushed too. "Uh...heh heh…oh no, I'm not laughing at it, I'm just, uh, laughing…" He arched one eyebrow, and looked at Mary, then looked away. "Really? All the other girls said that they do that?"

Mary nodded. "I mean, I'm not even sure how that comes up…do you have to ask if you can do it?…or do I tell you to do it?...or does it just happen?"

Gray swallowed. "Well, I guess any of those is possible…"

They looked at each other and started giggling nervously. "Do you…do you want to try it once? Just to be silly, you know?" Mary asked timidly.

"Heh heh…okay." Gray nodded.

Mary hesitated, then carefully stretched out on her stomach across his lap. Gray gasped a little, then brought his callused hand to rest on her bottom. Gray lifted his hand just a little, and Mary braced herself, but then Gray just set it down again softly. "I don't want to hurt you, though…"

"It probably won't hurt," Mary whispered.

"Okay," Gray said, and lifted his hand once more. He brought it back down as a firm pat.

Mary giggled. "You can do it harder than that."

Gray complied, lifting his hand again, then letting it fall in a sharper swat this time.

"Oooh!" Mary cried out.

"Did I hurt you?" Gray asked, worried.

"No, it felt kind of nice in a weird way," Mary panted out.

Gray lifted his hand once more, and spanked her just little harder this time. Mary cried out in surprise and pleasure, and she knew by something hard pressing up into her stomach that Gray was enjoying it too.

They were so into what they were doing, that they didn't hear the library door open, or the footsteps approaching them, until it was too late. "Mary, is that you? I hear you back here-" Claire rounded the corner to face them, and then broke off in surprise. She stood stunned for a minute, staring at the scene. Mary bent over Gray's knee, both of their faces very flushed, his hand raised in the air above her bottom. Claire laughed and spun around to face away from them. Mary and Gray scrambled to put themselves in more proper positions. Claire just laughed again. "You forgot your jacket last night, Mary. Ann asked me to bring it along to you. I'll just leave it on your desk."

Mary and Gray stared down at their feet in embarrassment. They could hear Claire walking swiftly to Mary's desk and putting the jacket there, then walking just as swiftly for the door. She paused there, however, and called out to the couple. "You know, you don't have to do EVERYTHING that Karen tells you to do. It might get you in trouble!" Claire snorted and let herself out, shutting the door firmly.

Mary and Gray sat in silence for a moment more. Without looking at Gray, Mary said "We'd better wait until we have our own place to try that one again." Gray nodded furiously in agreement.


	16. Finally

Part 16

Part 16

Mary thought this day would never come, but it was finally here! Her wedding day!

She wore a simple white gown that her mother had helped her pick out. Her long black hair was swirled up into a loose bun, with a golden tiara resting atop it. She decided not to wear her glasses. Karen helped her with makeup, and the bouquet that her father had made actually looked good, toy flowers intermingled with moondrops. She had sighed in relief when she saw it didn't have weeds in it.

Ann was her closest friend in town, and was serving as her maid of honor. Gray didn't really have any friends, but his closest acquaintance was Cliff, so he was the best man. Mary giggled when she wondered to herself if Claire might feel just a little twinge of upset at seeing her husband standing at the altar with her former rival, even if it was totally innocent.

The day went by so fast. Before she knew it, she was walking down the aisle towards Gray. Cliff had talked him out of wearing his trademark hat, thank goodness. He wore a simple black suit lent to him by Doctor. Poor Doctor, Mary thought to herself. He's turning into a tuxedo rental shop lately. As she reached the altar and stood beside him, she realized he looked like he was going to pass out. He was sweating profusely, and looked almost ill. Mary looked at him with concern and leaned in to whisper "Are you okay?" Gray nodded, still looking terrible. "It was just really hot in the back room. I'll be okay," he weakly smiled back at her.

The ceremony began. Mary gazed at Gray during the ceremony, praying that he wouldn't faint. He started to look a little better as time passed. Finally, Carter pronounced them man and wife, and Gray kissed Mary sweetly. They turned to walk down the aisle. Since Mary was usually the one who played organ at weddings, there was a little scramble to figure out who could do it for her. Karen stepped up to the challenge, assuring Mary that she knew how to play, and would practice before the ceremony.

Mary and Gray paused before taking their first step, waiting for the music to begin. Mary glanced over at the organ, where Karen seemed to be struggling with how to operate it. Mary groaned inwardly as she realized Karen probably practiced on the piano in the bar while she was drinking, and had never actually operated an organ before. Finally, a few notes came out of the organ, and Mary and Gray began walking. The music stopped abruptly, causing them to slow down, wondering whether or not they should stop and wait or keep going. They decided to keep going, and the music started up once again, coming out in strange, slightly flat notes and sounding altogether terrible. Mary just smiled the best she could, while Gray couldn't hide the look of disbelief on his face. Mary glanced at him and reflected that she was glad no one was taking pictures of their walk down the aisle together. They would make for horrible pictures, her with a fixed, fake smile on her face and Gray looking confused.

They made it out into the sunshine, and gleefully headed towards the inn, happy to get away from the sound of Karen's "music."

Their reception was wonderful. Everyone was there, and they ate, drank, and talked happily. Karen came up and apologized profusely for her mistakes, saying (as Mary had guessed) that she couldn't figure out how to work the organ. Mary smiled and brushed it off as no big deal. Karen smiled apologetically once more and went to the bar to get hammered.

Mary's parents took pictures of the two of them, Gray fidgeting nervously. "I hate getting my picture taken," he whispered to Mary. "It'll be over soon," she whispered back.

And it was. The whole reception was a blur. When it was over, Gray and Mary walked happily, hand in hand, to their new apartment. Mary would be seeing it for the first time, and she was excited. They arrived at the library and unlocked the door. Gray paused for a moment. "Do I carry you over this threshold?"

Mary giggled. "I don't know."

Gray shrugged. "Well, better safe than sorry," he said as he hoisted Mary up into his arms, eliciting a delighted squeal from her. They crossed the threshold together, and then he carefully placed her back on her feet. They mounted the steps, and were soon upstairs. Gray flipped on the light switch, and Mary gasped. It was totally different than the last time she had seen it. It had been a dusty mess, full of forgotten furniture and cobwebs.

But Gray had managed to clean it up marvelously. He and Gotz had converted the main room into an open style kitchen/dining room/living room. The small, pristine kitchen sparkled, brand new appliances and utensils waiting to be used. The dining room area had an oak table and four matching chairs. The living room part had a large, comfortable looking tan sofa, a coffee table, and a television. Mary had marveled for a while and wandered around touching everything, murmuring happily to herself. Gray grinned and took her by the hand. He showed her the bathroom they had installed. It was small but lovely, with a tub shower in it.

He then took her to the bedroom. A king size bed centered the room, with a plum covered comforter on top. The furniture was sparse, but Gray assured her that they could move the rest of her stuff from her room at her parents' house tomorrow. Mary nodded happily, turning to Gray with tears in her eyes. "It's all so perfect," she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck.

Gray kissed her warmly and looked in her eyes. "I love you."

Mary smiled up at him. "Oh, I love you too, Gray. So much."

Gray hoisted her up and carried her over the threshold of their new bedroom. He carried her over to the bed and set her down there. Mary giggled. "Oh, silly. You have to help me out of this dress first."

Gray laughed sheepishly and helped her to her feet, then unzipped her gown. He eased it off of her, leaving her wearing nothing but a white bra and panties. She reached over to him and slid his jacket off. Her small hands worked at his tie, getting it undone. Then she unbuttoned his shirt and removed that. She set all the pieces of clothing carefully to the side, remembering that they were borrowed. She then unbuckled his belt and removed his pants, with his help. All that remained was his boxers, but she left those on for the time being. They looked into each other's eyes and kissed, softly at first, then with more passion.

Gray pushed Mary gently down onto the bed, and kissed down her neck. He reached behind her and unhooked her bra, something he had gotten rather skilled at with practice. He removed it and kissed her there as well. Mary sighed happily. Gray layered himself on top of her and rubbed against her. She could feel his hardness pressing into her, and she moaned and wrapped her legs around him. He squeezed her thighs and breathed lustfully into her ear. She began tugging at her own panties, desperate to remove them. He grinned slyly and helped her, then removed his own boxers.

He froze as he realized something. He uttered a four letter word. Mary looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, disappointed. "I forgot to bring a condom."

Mary looked him deeply in the eyes. "It's all right…"

Gray just stared at her, thinking she meant it was all right to just not consummate their marriage right now. But as she made no effort to get out from under him, it slowly dawned on him that wasn't what she meant. He swallowed hard and looked at her. "Are—are you sure?"

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck. "We're married now, right?"

Gray nodded, and then sighed happily. "Oh Mary…" His body tingled as he thought about entering her for the first time with nothing between them. She parted her thighs even more to invite him, and he readied himself. He pressed just the tip of his hardness into her wetness, and moaned in sheer delight at how good it felt right on his skin. Then he plunged in, and practically screamed at how amazing that felt. He had to bite his lip and really try to not explode right then and there.

Mary moved underneath him, and he started moving himself. They worked a steady rhythm against each other's bodies, both unable to speak from the overwhelming sensation. He could sense that Mary was close, so he pressed himself against her and stayed close to her body. Her body tensed up, then relaxed as huge waves of pleasure flooded over her. That was just what Gray was waiting for, and he let himself go, thrusting into her furiously as he exploded, spilling inside of her for the first time.

His thrusts finally slackened off, and he carefully pulled out of her and rolled on his back. She quietly reached for a tissue and took care of that, then snuggled up against him. "That was…that was just amazing, Mary," he said, still struggling to catch his breath. A look of worry then crossed his face. "Does this mean you're going to get pregnant?"

Mary blushed. "Well, not necessarily. I can go to the Clinic and get on the pill now so that we don't have to use condoms any more. I just figured, well, since we're married, it would be okay to take the risk. It wouldn't be so scandalous if I did…get pregnant now."

Gray nodded. "You're right. I mean, I do…want you to have my children," They both blushed. "But, it would probably be best if we got to enjoy it just being the two of us for a while, right?" Mary nodded in agreement.

Gray sighed happily again. "I love you, Mary, more than anything in the world."

Mary kissed him and held him tightly. "I love you too, Gray. More than anything in the world!"

Author's Note:

Sooo… Should this be the end for our shy little couple? I'm ending it here for now, since everything is wrapped up nicely, but I may pick up on them again. I'm trying to get Hello Nurse! finished as well. When I'm done with that, I'll either have thought of new adventures for Gray and Mary, or maybe even Cliff and Claire! Or who knows, another couple. Popuri and Kai's travels? Ann and Harris (boooring)? I am not writing about Karen and Rick's kinkiness though. That will have to remain behind closed doors.

What do you guys think? Leave me reviews and let me know.


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